It is the 16th of January and many have already been tempted to break their resolutions. Maybe it was the idea of becoming more financially independent, maybe it was a resolution to live a healthy lifestyle or maybe it was the resolve to go back to school.
Many people do not make resolutions about travelling and where they want to go on holiday. This means that they end up going on holidays they can’t afford because of the pressure of making last-minute decisions or going to the same old places because they are used to it. This year resolve to make your holiday fun and stress-free.
Plan your holiday in advance
One way that you can do this is by planning your holiday in advance. If you want to go on holiday at Easter, or the summer holidays or in December plan early. Talk to your travel agent about rates. How much would flights cost? Accommodation? Do you get a discount if you pay early? Knowing what you need in advance will help you be able to put aside money easily. Our travel agency for instance has a plan where you can pay for your holiday in instalments. This will help you be able to save money and have an assurance that when you want to go on holiday you have definite accommodation and flights.
Be adventurous
Try going somewhere you have never been before. Did you know that you can get a hotel in South Africa with better rates than what you would pay at the coast? Kenya and Africa are opening up and there are so many great destinations to visit. Mauritius for example is a great place to go for a golf holiday and they also have very many water activities that would be loads of fun for children.
Don’t rush.
Sometimes you find that you put so many activities into a holiday that you never get to appreciate the beauty of that place. This year take time to stop and enjoy the beauty of your holiday destination. Don’t spend all of your time in the bar or spa. Take tours of the city or town. Go to the museums, and find out the fun places to go. Relax and get to know something about your holiday destination. It is a tragedy that many people go to take pictures of places to show others that they were there, yet they don’t live in the moment, and they can’t capture the moment in their memory because they were too busy taking pictures. A photographer friend of mine Mutua Matheka once told me that when we were on a trip to the fabulous Voyager Ziwani in Tsavo. That made me think and it has taught me to not hide behind the camera but to enjoy the moments.
“A tourist is a fellow who drives thousands of miles so he can be photographed standing in front of his car.” – Emile Ganest
Take your family with you.
Many people go on fun trips with their friends but forget to go on holiday with their families. If you are single you don’t have to wait to get a better half to go on a trip. Take your parents out for a treat and show them new things. They may have been so busy trying to provide for you that they never had the time or money to treat themselves to a holiday. Decide as a family that you will take a trip together to visit a park or beach outside your home town. The national parks are a great place to visit and learn new things, especially for children. It will give them a better appreciation for nature and give them something to talk about when they go back to school.
Challenge yourself to get out of your comfort zone.
Many of us are afraid to try new things or places. We like a certain place because it is predictable. You know the people, the food, the language etc. This year challenge yourself to travel somewhere new and do new things. Learn how to swim if you don’t know how so that you can go swimming at the beach. Challenge yourself to climb a mountain or an interesting hill.
“People who don’t travel cannot have a global view, all they see is what’s in front of them. Those people cannot accept new things because all they know is where they live.” – Martin Yan
If you have never travelled out of the country challenge yourself to do a foreign trip this year. I am challenging myself to visit at least one new country that I haven’t visited every year. I am still thinking if I want to do Rwanda, Ethiopia or Zanzibar this year. I am challenging myself to open my eyes to new possibilities. You can also decide to go to new destinations in Kenya where you have never been before.
This year resolve to travel, resolve to try something new, and resolve to open your eyes and heart to new destinations, peoples and cultures.
“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine
This year resolve to make the world your book.
